h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hmm - gonna have to dispute Rhas Al G'Hul being placed in the obscure section here - as the main protagonist of the Demon saga, I would have said he merits a little more than that. Besides, not many people can claim to have nearlty been Bruce wayne's father-in-law...

As for the calendar man, well, I would recommend taking a squint at Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale's two story arcs, in which dear old Julian was transformed into hannibal lLector type figure, imprisoned in Arkham Asylum yet working with the forces of law and order for his own strange purposes...

I only put Ra's al Ghul in the 'obscure' because unless you're into the comics, you're not going to have heard of him. I did say he was Batman's true nemesis...

I always look forward to al Ghul stories - Greg Rucka's got a mini coming up with him, Bruce and Talia called Death and the Maidens.

I have read The Long Halloween. Very good story.

The classifications are somewhat arbitrary I know, but I didn't want a big long alphabetical list.

And even Kite-Man has his fans...

Fair enough, though personally I'd plump for Two Face as Batman's true nemesis, as he is the only other character with the dicotomy of upholding and breaking the law...

Have to say your entry was right on the money, and other than minor points on dates, issue numbers, or appearances you were bang on with all your info.

In addition to Ra's, one could argue that David Cain isn't obscure, either, but I think you did a great job with this entry! It's authoritative and comprehensive, excepting that you maybe overlooked Huntress and a few of the other spin-off characters. [Can't cover EVERYTHING in one entry anyway!] I hadn't heard of Mrs. Dalling before, so that's one to look into! (Loved your cracks on the Calendar man, He's always been one of the characters who deserved a good laughing at - tho' Long Halloween and Dark Victory make him a pretty intelligent, formidable villian. Tim Sale and Jeph Loeb do some amazing work.)

I have a huge library of the stuff myself--It's good to know I'm not the only one who finds this stuff interesting! As for "Who The Batman's biggest nemesis" is, it's got to be The Joker, although I agree Two-face is a big one. They've often indicated that Havey Dent knows the Batman's secret and keeps it to himself, so that makes both him and Hugo Strange particularily formidable. (They've never outright stated that he knows, as they're Finally doing with Bruce and Catwoman in the newest issues.) Also, Bane seems to be rearing his head more and more these days with the whole "bastard son" of Thomas Wayne story. (I don't think they've ever really confirmed that either way, though they did indicate that someone tampered with the DNA tests they did a few issues back.) Maybe this "Hush" fella will give The Joker and Harley a run for their money!

I Loved No-Man's Land, it's what got me hooked again! Also, there was a story back along Detective 641 (Destroyer Pt.3) that spanned several bat-books and gave us a criminal who was blowing up buildings because real estate development had obscured the genius of an architect. (Some pretty nice background work in those.) I'm also looking forward to the "Death and the Maidens" story, too.

Reading back over my posting makes me think they're a bit too much like a soap opera, but really, I love to read them because Batman is a hero with NO super powers, he lives by his wits; also I just love to see him boot some head. They could get rid of the really deep, convoluted plots and just show him booting head, and I'd be happy!

Again, great job on the entry and good reading!

Thanks for the kind words - I didn't include issue numbers and so forth because I didn't think such information would be of much interest to the average reader. I am considering doing a companion entry on Gotham City's many masked vigilantes, so the Huntress would obviously pop up there.

Have you been picking up the 'Arkham Asylum - Living Hell' miniseries? It's brilliantly written and is introducing some new Gotham loonies, including Humpty Dumpty (no, really) who looks like a great new character. Jane Doe also has lots of potential.

David - waiting for a good Scarecrow story, not had one of those for a while

Dude,

Ironically, I HAVE picked up the "Arkham Asylum//Living Hell" but haven't read a bit of it-I wanted to have the whole story before I start. The art looks fantastic! It's good to hear the characters and storyline are as compelling as the art.

I've also done the same thing with the Edgar Allen Poe/Batman Elseworld's story "Nevermore", and the Superman/Wonder Woman/Batman: TRINITY story. (I'd read the JLA stuff,too, but just can't afford it! I hope to pick up the Hiketia in TPB when I can find it.)

As for Scarecrow stories, I believe one of the recent best, and my own fav, is the "TERROR" storyline in Batman:Legends of the Dark Knight awhile back-- (134 or so??) that featured both Hugo Strange and the Scarecrow. It was a 5-parter, and I accidentally got the first two issues twice...they'd make a great gift if I could get the last three-just SUCH a good read, whether you've ever read Batman before or not! Still, I haven't been able to pick up another copy of the last three because they're sold out everywhere! I also LOVED the 3-part "Close Cover Before Striking" Matches Mallone story that ran in Batman back before Hush started!

Good call on the Close Before striking arc - Matches Malone and the Ventriloquist. Just dandy.

Shhhh.... don't tell anyone, but I'm not all that taken with Hush. I'm glad Ed Brubaker has stayed around, though, moving over from Batman to Detective Comics. His Deadshot two-parter immediately before Hush was great, and he is using the Penguin really well.

I never have the patience to wait until the whole story has come out before reading it, which makes me a bit sad I suppose. I do, however, avoid the hardcovers, so am anxiously awaiting the Hiketeia's trade paperback release as you are.

David

Dear Dewey Demon,

It's not patience for the whole storyline to be published so much as it is a lack of free time...however, quite often I find that I hold off reading, and then read most of a storyline so that when the final issue comes out I can run right home and read it--example, I'll read the rest of "Batgirl:Year One" when issue #8 comes out tomorrow so that I will be ready when issue 9 hits the 'stands. (Also, tried to re-read "Terror" last weekend and it put me to sleep! Oh, well.)

As for HUSH, I'm not at all offended. Some of the writing has been fantastic, but some of it is fairly predictible. I like that Selina and Bruce are finally getting close (hey it's only been What? 50 years??), and esp. liked the story where they're at the Opera...thought that one was very well written--it's really hard to pack a book so you get a good mix of action and story with a nice bow on top of it Every issue.

But so I think the art is impressive and the writing's good, if predictable. One thing that ticked me off was that when Loeb/Lee announced they were going to do the book, DC UPGRADED the paper they normally use. %X$!*#@ - so all the other stories weren't deserving of the best they could do??!??! Really doesn't sit well with me! and indicates just how "money driven" DC really is ('cause they know that team will sell books just by their fan-base.)

The money-grubbing thing upsets me because they COULD just focus on cranking out good stories, but no- watch HUSH and see, they're going to do a "Newstand" final issue, an "Enhanced" final issue, and a special "Heros" cover and "Villians" cover, only available if you order them as a set. (Which I did--it's my birthday present in September!) All because they know some people, like me, will want at least ONE of all those damned issues! (Now, I thought the 2nd printing of the Superman issue with the pencils and no ink was pretty cool!)

More over, some of the "Dynamic Forces" issues sold as a set that are signed by Lee/Loeb are supposedly worth $100 according to Milehigh Comics. I have them (Signed set of the HUSH#1) and if I really thought they were worth that, I'd sell em! - - ok, so I wouldn't REALLY sell them, but **SIGH** I wish that money wasn't an issue.

Do you ever read any of the "Elseworlds" books? I usually don't, tho' I have some of them. I've been wondering if "Golden Streets of Gotham" is any good, and of course nobody else I know really reads Batman comics...My wife makes fun of me because I said, "Elseworld stories aren't real--they exist outside DCU Continuity" to which she replied, "NONE of them are real, they're Comics, you idiot!!!" LOL.

No, they're real, I tell you, all real!

I've not read Golden Streets of Gotham, I'm afraid. The Nevermore series at the moment is pretty good - Edgar Allen Poe meets the Batman.

David

LOL! Have to beat my wife off the keyboard. Haven't finished the Batgirl:Year One stuff OR Nevermore (I'm a big Poe fan), but we're having a good laugh bout the "Real! All Real!" line.